PJmak

They keep popping off and leaving me stranded despite me installing them correctly.

Where do the lines end on the bottom of the car and how are they connected?

I would assume I can get new lines with screw on connectors and just replace the fittings on the radiator.

Robjr

PJmak......

Really sorry for your predicament. Never had that issue and hope there's an easy fix. Hate to see your car hooked-up to a trailer for the tow-ride home.

Keep us posted.

Rob

PJmak

Hey thanks man. Its the second time its happened and I am not taking a chance of driving it again with that setup. Its such an easy fix but the lines don't stay in. I think its just a flawed design and its quite common apparently

Robjr

PJmak.....

Is that a new OEM radiator or what? I had a new one installed several years ago when I had that major issue with the ABS unit, i.e., all new canbus ground connections, new OEM spark plug wires, installed CLK63 aluminum protection cover, etc. as it took over 3 weeks for the dealer to solve the problem after limp mode, repair then limp mode several more times after their supposed fix. Finally a permanent fix "knock on wood" to this day.

Show some pics when you've nailed the problem.

Rob

insame1

i have never had this issue and had a lot of m113/m112 cars i would say it the clip or where it hits the line is worn down or damaged. The only other thing i could thin is that it is building too much pressure somehow.

PJmak

Nope neither of these two things is the case here

insame1

Well.... things don't just pop out when they are held in with a clip. something has to be damaged or there has to be too much pressure.

insame1

even from your picture it does not look like that clip would engage the fitting properly.

PJmak

I haven't touched the fluid level prior to first time the line popped off so this eliminates the possibility of too much pressure.

Obviously when the line popped out the first time(bottom one) I had to refill the trans and I did use a dip stick to measure it correctly. Before the line popped out, I was driving on the same fluid level since I bought the car and god knows how long before. Its been at least 20k miles. If it was a pressure issue, it would have popped out before.

Second time the top line popped out. Clips and all hardware are brand new and came with the radiator which was replaced maybe three or four months before the first line popped out.

I think the issue is that the radiator is not a mercedes OEM one so the hardware might not be same quality and the clips dont hold up as well

PJmak

So little update. I returned the Nissen radiator and got a Behr. The radiators look identical. The mercedes benz radiator that was in the car originally had a slightly different design for the trans cooler line connectors.
Nissen and Behr radiators have a male connector that screws into the radiator. The mb one has a female part that screws onto a protruding(male) connection on the radiator.
All of these connections at the end of the day look identical and im not sure the issue is related to that. The difference is the way they connect to the radiator and the finish. Nissen and Behr have a gold finish material while the mb one has a silver aluminum finish.

I also dont see how one can install this the wrong way. The way the clips and the whole system is designed, you'll find out right away if it didn't clamp on properly. Its really hard to get it wrong.


What I did notice is the difference in rigidity of the retaining clips. I have a handful of clips which all look identical except for one which has a shiny chrome finish to it. Other ones have a regular grey metal finish.
The shiny one was taken off of a clk at a local pick n pull. (these weren't available at the dealer separately)
I also have a portion of the line that plugs into this setup on the radiator. I chopped one off so I could take a better look at this system in my hand vs it being on the radiator in the car.

The setup with the shiny clip holds the line in much tighter than the other one(black cap). Btw theres no differences in the caps. I have tested both clips inside both caps and the results are the same. The clip is the only part that makes the difference.
I can spin the cap with the non shiny clip in it around the pipe much more freely. It'll make one or two full rotations if I spin it by my finger quickly. The shiny clip wont allow for that. While itll still spin, it wont spin nowhere as easy.

My car is up and running, I've been driving it around a bit and staying close to home while avoiding high revving it. In two previous cases where the lines blew off, both times it happened under hard accelerations. Im gonna get another shiny clip and swap the ones on my car. I don't have a choice but to give it a proper test once I do that.

Robjr

PJmak.......

Glad you're on the right track and all's well with the additional clips! Good write-up and diagnosis!

Happy New Year, my friend......

Rob

PJmak

Hey man thanks and happy new year to you as well.

I just want to be able to drive this car normally and not worry about it blowing out a hose. This design should be recalled honestly ive seen this happen to many people.

Robjr

PJmak.....

You're right...sometimes car manufacturers' engineering is just not up to speed........I recently had the "full gas tank" smell and after searching this forum...found the fix with JB Weld Marine Epoxy which perfectly sealed the sending unit on the left side of the tank. Easy fix ($7 @ Home Depot) and 20 minutes. Kudos to the guys with the tip!

Rob